Yielding wire seat-frame



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' A. Y. COOHRANE.

YIELDING WIRE SEAT FRAME.

No. 584,922. Patented June 22, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

ALEXANDER Y. COCHRANE, OF IVAVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

YIELDING WIRE SEAT-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,922, dated June 22, 1897'.

T0 (LZZ whOm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Y. Coon- RANE, of Waverly, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Yielding Wire Seat-Frames, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to yielding wire seatframes such as are or may be used in connection with upholstered furniture, cushions, car-seats, and the like for supporting the upholstering and to take the place of the usual spiral springs now employed.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a yielding wire seat-frame of such construction as will provide a reversible seatt'. 0., a seat which may be used equally well with either face constituting the top. a 7

My invention further comprehends the combination, ina single frame, of outer-edge yielding supports for supporting the outer edges of the frame or either of them, and an intermediate or body support, also yielding and preferably in the form of an elliptic spring, whether such elliptic spring be formed of independent shaped or other members or in a single member, I having found in practice that the elliptical form of support, whatever be its construction, is best adapted for supporting or sustaining the principal or body portion of the frame in a yielding manner.

In my experience in connection with frames of the class to which my invention relates I have found that a frame in which all the wires necessarily employed are similarly constructed to serve as springs is in many instances unduly stiff and unyielding, yet if the number of wires be reduced the frame is deficient in strength.

To obviate these difficulties, my present invention comprehends a seat-frame comprising in its construction a plurality of wire members arranged side by side with wire members of one shape or form interposed between wire members of a different shape or form, the differently formed or shaped members having, it may be, different degrees of resiliency, whereby a frame possessing the highest properties of elasticity or yield is pro- Application filed February 2 1, 1896. Serial No. 580,362. (No model.)

members having, preferably, spring-coils at the three principal bends in the members, the latter being arranged butt to butt, with their adjacent coils connected, thereby forming the desired elliptic construction at the body of the frame, the outer or free ends of these 3- shaped members being supported by suitable yielding edge-supports, preferably -shaped. The edge forms are also preferably constructed by suitably extending and bending one or both the arms of the several B-shaped spring members.

The above, with other features of my invention, will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a partial top or plan view of myimproved frame; Fig. 2, an end view thereof; Fig. 3, apartial edge view, for instance, looking from the right, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows one of the ;-shaped members detached. Fig. 5 shows one of the yielding edge-supports detached. Fig. 6 illustrates one of the members differing in shape or form from the 3-shaped members and interposed between the same, and Figs. 7 and Sdetails illustrating modified forms of my invention.

In the embodiment of my invention selected by me for illustrating the same and shown in the drawings the yielding seat-frame is shown as made up of two series of B-shaped members A A, one of which is shown separately in Fig. 4, the members A of each series being arranged side by side and facing in the same direction, the members of the respective series being arranged butt to butt, as shown in Fig. 2, the members of one series between or alternated with the members of the other, as shown in Fig. 1.

Each member A by reason of its shape, as

shown, presents top and bottom portions or arms a (I, which are preferably similar in length and form, and the intermediate portions orarms a a, joined at the apex of the 3 by a suitable coil a and also joined to the arms a a by other coils a a, the said members Athus presenting between their edges a plurality of bonds, giving to the members agreatcr or less amount of elasticity or resiliency dependent upon the size and material of the members and the character of the bends.

The opposing members A of the two series referred to are joined along a middle line by suitable connections 0, preferably in the shape of metallic rods 11 I), passed through the coils a a and provided at their opposite ends with suitable heads or nuts I). (See Fig. 1.)

The arms a (I of the members A near the open ends of the a-shaped members and-adjacent the edges of the seat-frame are shown as reinforced or supported by what I shall hereinafter call edge-supports c 0, shown as -shaped in form, each with preferably a spring-eoil c at its apex. These edge-supports in the present embodiment of my invention are connected with the free or outer ends of the arms a a by means of suitable connections, as, for instance, rods passed through eyes 0 in the ends of the supports and eyes a" in the said arms a a, said connections at their ends being also preferably pro vided with suitable heads or nuts 0, as shown in Fig. 1. Other connections a, also preferably rods, are passed from one to another of the edge-supports through the coils c thereof and similarly provided with heads or nuts, as shown in Fig. 1,the rods described together cooperating to maintain the frame in its proper shape.

To provide a suitable edge form about which the upholstery may be turned to present a smooth and finished edge to the completed article, I have herein shown the arms a a of the members A extended beyond the eyes a", which constitute the outside limits of the frame proper to present overhanging and also raised coils (Z, the coils of adjacent members cooperatin g to form a nearly continuous edge form extending the entire length of the frame, and in practice when upholstering the frame the hair or other upholstering material may be carried to and against these edge forms which hold the material in position and the covering material of whatever nature is carried down and around these edges, which latter insure and maintain in correct alinement the finished edge of the completed article. liy thus providing an edge form, whether continuous or in section, as I have shown it in the present embodiment of my invention, to overhang the edge proper of the frame, and thereby have a yielding movement independent of the frame, the edge of the finished upholstered article which is formed about this edge form is given a greater freedom of elasno more elasticity than that accorded by the construction of the frame itself, so that to one seated upon the completed article the freedom of movement of the edge thereof is at once a source of comfort and pleasure.

The freedom of movement given to the edge of the completed article is further assisted by reason of the fact that the edge form prefer ably, and as shown in the present embodiment of my invention, is made up of a large number of small sections mounted, respectively, upon the independent 3 -shaped members, so that each has a movement independent of its neighbor. 4

Referring to Fig. 1, I have interposed at frequent intervals wire members 0, differing in form and it may be in material and size from the principal spring members of the frame, one of these members being shown in Fig. 6 and wherein it is nearly or quite straight, it being provided with suitable eyes c and c to receive the eonnecting-rods c and I) described, said members c being also preferably provided with edge-forming portions c to cooperate with the portions d described.

13y referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that my improved wire scat-frame as herein disclosed presents similar top and bottom faces which are similarly supported, so that it matters not which of the faces of the support be constituted the top of the frame the frame will operate equally well to present a yielding frame for the upholstering material. To this end it will be seen that the top and bottom arms a dare each provided with a yielding edge-support and are each separated at their inner ends by the elliptic formation of the body-support, and it is impossible to press upon either edge at either face of the frame and cause the latter to heel up out of shape, as with devices of this class heretofore produced and not provided with an edge-support.

The edge-supports c c possess sufficient strength and resiliency to give a perfect freedom of movement to the edge of the completed article, while the elliptic body-supports receive and support the principal weight upon the article, so that the edge of the article whichis not called upon to sustain the principal weight may be constructed to give greater freedom of movement or greater elasticity than can be given to the principal earrying-support in the body of the frame. It will also be evident that the elliptic bodysupport, viewed on the plane of any crosssection of the frame, is made up of two oppositely positioned shaped members, which, however, whether directly connected, as herein shown, one with the other or otherwise, eodperate after the manner of an elliptic spring to equalize and support the body of the frame.

It will be seen that by reason of my construction as shown in the drawings the 3- shaped members, taken in connection with the edge-supports, provide for a nearly-parallel up-an d-down movement of the arms a a,

IIO

so that when in use there is much less distortion of the upholstered article from its normal shape than is-possible with a construction wherein this parallel movement is not provided for. g

It is evident, of course, that my invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, for it may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. For example, instead of employing 3 -shaped members A, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein each wire starts from one edge and returns again to the same edge of the frame, I may employ members such, for instance, as illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein the member f presents top and bottom arms f f, which form parts of the opposite halves of the framethat is, the arms f f extend in opposite directions from the ends of the intermediate shaped supporting portions f f In Fig. 8 I have shown the edge-forming portions as a part of the edge-supports. My invention, however, comprehends these edge forms regardless of their particular specific construction.

I have herein described and illustrated my invention as applicable to frames designed to be upholstered, yet it is evident that my invention may be used for other analogous purposes-such, for instance, as beds and other supports which are to be used without upholstering, and the term yielding wire seat-frame herein employed is intended to include all such analogous uses.

Having described my invention and without limiting myself as to details, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, having horizontal members provided with intermediate coiled eyes and having their ends provided with an. integral raised edge form, substantially as described.

2. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, having yielding supports springing inwardly away from the edge of the seatframe, and the latter being provided with an edge form integral with and overhanging the upper edge of said frame, substantiallyas described.

3. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, said frame having a raised and overhanging edge form, substantially as described.

4. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, composed of a plurality of independent spring wire members, each provided with an edge-forming portion, the edge-forming portions of the several members being disconnected one from another to provide freedom of movement of the edge of the completed article, substantially as described.

5. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, composed of a plurality of spring members bent between their ends and provided at their ends with a raisededge-form ing portion, substantially as described.

6. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, containing a top arm, a yielding edge-support therefor, and an edge form overhanging the point of connection of said top arm and edge-support, substantially as described.

7. In a yielding wire seat-frame, the combination with a top member and an edge-sup porting member therefor, of an edge-formin g portion integral with one of said members and arranged beyond their point of connection, substantially as described.

8. In a yielding wire seat-frame, the combination with a plurality of connected 3- shaped spring members arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being alined and arranged butt to butt, and the successive pairs being arranged side by side, of the substantially straight members interposed between and alongside of said pairs, substantially as described.

9. In aseatframe composed of wire springs, a yielding projecting edge-support composed of a series of coils of Wire arranged horizontally in line, substantially as described.

10. A yielding wire seat-frame of the class described, provided at its edges with series of coiled-spring eyes, together constituting raised-edge forms, substantially as described.

11. In a yielding wire seat-frame, the combination with a plurality of connected 3- shaped spring members, each having coils formed therein at each of their angles, said members being alined and arranged butt to butt, of interposed -shaped supports provided with coils at their middle and where they meet said k-shaped members, and connected together side by side and to the said spring members adjacent the edge of the frame, substantially as described.

12. In a yielding wire seat-frame, the combination with a plurality of connected shaped spring members, each having coils formed therein at their angles, said members being arranged butt to butt, and connected together side by side at their said angles, of interposed -shaped supports provided with coils at their middle and where they meet said B-shaped members, and connected together and to the said spring members adjacent the edge of the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER Y. COCHRANE.

Vitnesses:

FREDERICK L. EMERY, AUGUSTA E. DEAN. 

